(from Lotus
Press Release) Lotus is a global
high tech company and expanding fast. We are committed to driving
forward with technology for both Lotus Cars and our Engineering
Clients, spearheading research into ever-increasing fields, such as,
hybrids, electric vehicles and renewable fuels. Lotus Cars now
retails its products in 32 countries and is growing quickly in new
territories such as Malaysia, Korea and China in South East Asia and
the Gulf States in the Middle East. Lotus Engineering continues to
provide and develop high technology engineering consultancy for the
worlds motor industry.

The exciting Model Year
08 line up heralds increased levels of performance for both Elise
and Exige, to provide a peerless driving experience. Listening to
Lotus owners views we are determined to continue with improvements
to the experience of Lotus ownership and as an example we have
developed the option packs to simplify the purchasing process. We
are expanding our future model line-up to include exciting new
products such as a mid range 2+2 sportscar and a stunning high
specification supercar, both of which will be true to the Lotus
brand philosophy.

Lotus powers into the
2008 Model year with the most powerful series production version of
the
Elise to date the Supercharged Elise SC and a 240 PS Performance
Pack option for the
Supercharged Exige S that further reinforces its credentials as a
race car for the road.
But extra performance is only a part of the 2008 Model Year story.
There are several other
enhancements that make the Elise and Exige ranges more sophisticated
and better value than
ever before. Driver and passenger airbags are now standard on all
models.

An advanced new
instrument pack (again common to all models) provides extra
information
about vehicle systems, including servicing reminders, but thanks to
secret until lit technology,
drivers wont be alerted to such details until it is necessary. A
completely new alarm/immobiliser
system has allowed the introduction of a new Lotus designed key with
integrated fob, the
famous Lotus roundel operating as one of its three functional
buttons.

Following feedback from
customers and dealers the number of option packs for the Elise and
Exige has been reduced from four to two, but with increased
specification for each. And should
customers wish to personalise their Lotus still further, there are a
myriad of accessories
available through the Lotus Aftersales Operation.

Introducing the Supercharged Elise
SC

The biggest news from
the 2008 Model Year Lotus line-up is the introduction of the
Supercharged Elise SC, a 220 PS version of the multi award-winning
roadster, easily identified
by its new rear spoiler and unique new design of alloy road wheels.

Despite the on-paper
similarity with the Exige S, this is no mere engine swap this is
an allnew,
non-intercooled installation applied to the current Elises
1.8-litre 2-ZZ VVTL-i engine.
The Lotus-designed, Magnuson-produced supercharger uses a smaller
Eaton rotor pack (an
M45 unit) than that of the current Exige S, and is married to the
intake manifold plenum as part
of a single-piece casting. Combined with the absence of an
intercooler and its associated
pipework, this integrated supercharger/intake assembly contributes
to an 8kg reduction in
engine weight compared with the Exige S.

A further benefit of
dispensing with the intercooler for the Elise SC application is the
supercharger packaging viability for Elise and improved rear
visibility when adopted into the
Exige S, where vision from the rear view mirror is masked by the
current intercooler installation.
The Elise SC has been designed to have different driving
characteristics to the Exige S. In
keeping with its role as a supremely fast road car rather than
extreme track machine, throttle
response is very progressive but also very direct, resulting in a
measured, refined driving
experience.

But, as you might expect
of a car with 220 PS and weighing only 903 kg (1987 lbs), the
performance of the Elise SC is electrifying 0-60 mph in 4.4 secs /
0-100 km/h in 4.6 secs
(estimated); 0-100 mph / 160 km/h in 10.7 secs (estimated); top
speed 150 mph / 240 km/h
(estimated). Although for the record, the Exige S remains the faster
car on track, thanks to its
superior aerodynamics package that generates 42 kg (92 lbs) of
downforce at 100 mph (160
km/h). The fuel economy of the Elise SC is impressive with an
estimated combined figure of 9.1
litres / 100 km (31.0 mpg).

A new bespoke wheel
design is introduced to the Elise SC, the rears having increased
half an
inch in width to 8.0 inches, to give even better grip performance
from the standard Lotus specific
Yokohama AD07 LTS 225/45 R17 tyres.

Airbags for all

In this safety-conscious
age and with more and more owners using their Elise or Exige as
daily
transport, demand has been growing for standard-fit airbags. Lotus
have responded to provide
driver and passenger airbags as standard on all Elise and Exige
models; previously they were
available as part of the Super Touring option package. The new
dashboard has a new, softtouch
surface finish.

More than just new dials

The new instrument pack
in the Elise and Exige contains so much more than just a fresh pair
of
stylishly back-lit dials. It also features a high-definition LCD
message panel that can display
a scrolling text message with vehicle systems information.

The new instrument pack
always displays the fuel gauge, engine temperature and odometer,
however you can select to display the time (from November 07), trip
distance or a digital readout
of your speed in the opposite calibration to that of your
speedometer dial if your dial is in
mph, the readout is in km/h.

Warning symbols are
secret until lit, keeping the instrumentation free from visual
clutter and
distraction until absolutely necessary. New gearchange shift
lights similarly remain hidden until
required. There are three shift up lights, cumulatively lighting
when the driver is getting closer to
the rev limiter and when all three are illuminated, they flash to
indicate that youre almost on the
rev limiter so time to change up a gear!

A key issue

In response to
forthcoming legislation, the Elise and Exige both have a new
Thatcham
approved alarm/immobiliser system. This, in turn, has enabled a new
Lotus design of key that
incorporates the controls for the alarm/immobiliser and central
locking functions. This upmarket
key fob features three buttons, the one which locks the doors and
sets the alarm/immobiliser is
stylishly crowned with the famous Lotus roundel. The second button
unlocks the doors and deactives
the alarm/immobiliser, and the final button is a panic button.

Complete range of option packages
from four down to two

Partly because of
customer demand and partly due to the fact that airbags are now
standard
across the Elise and Exige ranges, the number of trim option
packages has been cut from four
down to two.

The previous Super
Touring and Super Sport packages have been dropped, in part because
they included the aforementioned airbags.

The contents of the
revised Touring pack, for both Elise and Exige, now includes:

The beauty of the
Touring and Sport packs is that they can be combined so a customer
can
have the additional interior and exterior equipment from the Touring
pack with the sport
focussed equipment from the Sport pack.

Air conditioning, Lotus
traction control, limited slip differential and hardtop are
available as
stand-alone options.

Customers wanting to add
further finishing touches to their Lotus such as specifying an
Exige
with the adjustable dampers and forged wheels that were part of the
old Super Sport option
pack will still be able to order from an extensive range of
accessories.

As part of the 2008
Model Year enhancements, the Elise, Exige and Europa paint ranges
have
been revised, with some less popular shades being dropped and new
colours, including some
vibrant pearlescent colours, being introduced.

The new Premium Colour
Range has been designed to further enhance the choice for customers
to individualise their cars. Most of the paints in this range
require a more sophisticated manufacturing process and are from our
paint suppliers premium range. The paint colours in this range have
been individually priced, and it is Lotus intention to extend and
change this range at periodic intervals.